Grapple



Patented Feb. 3, 1948 GRAPPL'E William-B. Baker, Council Bluffs, Iowa; and

Harold Rees, Omaha, Nebr'. Appiicatian November 12, 1946, serial 769,226

3 claims.

This invention relates to grapples and particularly to a grapple for lifting an automatic coupler by its head reparatory to inserting its shank into the coupler pocket of a railway car or locomotive.

The grapple should engage the head and leave the shank free for insertion. It should sustain the coupler with the shank horizontal or approximately s0. Infallible engagement is vital from the safety standpoint, and ease of manipulation is important, first because it increases the probability of safe engagement and second because it saves time.

Basically the grappling is effected by the gravity effect of the grappled coupler, but safety is assured and manipulation is facilitated by a clamping wedge with manipulative handle so contrived that the grapple is guided to position by the handle and then looked in grappling engagement by a secondary motion of the same handle. Unless engagement is correct, the locking movement is virtually impossible, so the operator is protected against his own carelessness, so far as is humanly possible.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the grapple.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the grapple and a coupler sustained thereby. A part of the coupler head is broken away to show how the grapple engages.

In Fig. 2 the coupler head is indicated at A and the shank at B. At the back of the head A is a shoulder C, while at the front is a recess or opening D. The hinged knuckle characteristic of automatic couplers is not visible since it is in the portion broken away, The part E- will be recognized as a portion of the lock-lifter.

The coupler head illustrated in Fig. 2 is a type E coupler, and is representative of couplers which differ in detail, but are fundamentally similar. Grapples may be dimensioned to suit particular designs.

One element of the grapple is a stirrup made up of two bowed members 6 and a straight cross member 1 which connects, and is integral with the bowed members. The bowed members 6 have bearing eyes in their ends, and are hinged by a shoulder-bolt 8 to a lever generally indicated by the numeral 9. They are bowed to reach over the head A, as will be apparent upon inspection of Fig. 2.

The lower arm of the lever 9 is bowed as indicated at H, so as to present a convex head which 2 engages the ieeessei opening'D'ifi the front face of head A, whileth cross member 1 of the 'stirrup engages the rear surface C of the head at its junction with shank B.

The upper arm of lever 9, for a considerable distance above hinge-bolt 8 is straight and of uni.. form rectangular cross section, as indicated at l2. Above this straight portion it is offset or bent to the rear terminating in an eye 13 (Fig. 1) to which a hoisting sling M (Fig. 2) is shackled.

The offset serves two purposes, It develops a turning tendency on lever 9 which ensures engagement of the grapple under the weight of the coupler head. It brings the line of support by sling l4 directly over the combined center of gravity of the coupler head and grapple.

This arrangement, and proper dimensioning of the stirrup, assure that the coupler will be held with its shank B horizontal, and thus be capable of ready insertion into a coupler pocket.

The parts so far described produce a complete and operative grapple. Its engagement depends on the gravity effect of the coupler. Hence, it might release if accidental striking of the coupler against some object should lift the coupler slightly.

To inhibit such accidental disengagement a sleeve I 5 is slidably mounted on portion l2 of the lever and carries a wedge l6, dimensioned to engage the front face of the coupler head, as shown in Fig. 2. The wedge, when so engaged, maintains the engagement of the grapple independently of all gravity effects.

To afford a single means to guide lever 9 and actuate wedge l6, arms l1 are connected to sleeve l5, extend along portion l2 to a point above the offset and are there connected by a hand-grip Hi. This hand-grip is used, first to position the grapple, and then to engage the wedge. It is also used to disengage the wedge and then withdraw the grapple from the coupler.

Unless the grapple is properly engaged with the coupler head it is practically impossible to engage the wedge. In this way, improper engagement of the grapple is brought sharply to the operators attention, a safeguard almost as valuable as the locked engagement of the grapple which is produced by engagement of the wedge.

The illustration embodiment is exemplary and modifications within the scope of the claims are contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A grapple for use in inserting the shanks of coupler heads into coupler pockets, comprising in combination a stirrup adapted to engage the rear of a coupler head; and a two-armed lever pivotally connected therewith, having on its lower arm a head adapted to engage the front of the same coupler head and having in the upper portion of its upper arm an offset with suspending connection arranged to develop a grappling tendency by the gravity of the grappled coupler and so dimensioned and arranged as to locate the point of suspension substantially vertically above the combined center of gravity of the grapple and the coupler sustained thereby.

2. A grapple for use in inserting the shanks of coupler heads into coupler pockets, comprising in combination a stirrup adapted to engage the rear of a coupler head; a two-armed lever pivotally connected therewith, having on its lower arm a head adapted to engage th front of the same coupler head and having in the upper portion of its upper arm an ofiset with suspending connection arranged to develop a grappling tendency by the gravity of the grappled coupler and coupler.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which v the wedging member is mounted to slide on the .u said arm and beyond the ofiset, whereby the upper arm of the lever, and is formed with a handle which extends in the general direction of handle serves as combined means for manipulatmg the grapple to establish engagement and then for engaging the safety clamp.

WILLIAM B. BAKER. HAROLD REES. 

